This invention relates to an information processing system including information processing terminals each having a wireless communication function, wireless base stations for executing wireless communication with the information processing terminals and information processing servers connected to the wireless communication base stations through a network. In a sensor network information processing system including the information processing terminals described above each of which a sensor for measuring a state of a matter, the invention relates more specifically to a sensor network management system for managing an operating condition of sensor nodes.
A ubiquitous information society that makes it possible to provide an optimum information service in accordance with a condition and an environment in which a matter is placed without the limitation of time and space has gradually been realized at present. Particularly, ubiquitous information processing devices using secure IC chips typified by IC cards and wireless tags (RFID) have become widespread, too, and a variety of application services including electronic settlement, physical distribution management, security management and information provision services have now been attempted.
With the background described above, development of a sensor network system including a ubiquitous information processing device (hereinafter called “sensor node”) accessorial to people or an article, for measuring the condition of the matter and an information processing server (hereinafter called “task server”) for executing various kinds of task processing by inputting the outputs of the sensor nodes has been made. Whereas wireless tags according to the prior art provide only individual identification information, the sensor nodes can provide various conditions of the matter and may be applied to high-level task services.
The ubiquitous information processing terminal described above cannot execute a task by itself and must operate in the interlocking arrangement with a task processing program on a server. On the contrary, the server acquires necessary information from a large number of ubiquitous information processing terminals and can execute the task. Because the ubiquitous information processing terminal is allowed to accompany the real matter and operate, it is very important that the terminal is allowed to accompany the correct matter and to monitor and manage its operating condition.
As for IC cards that have become widespread as the ubiquitous information processing device, the management system specification ranging from the issuance to operation are determined in the Global Platform: Global Platform Smart Card Management System Functional requirements Version 4.0, 21 Dec. 2004 and Global Platform: A Primer to the Implementation of Smart Card Management and Related Systems, Version 1.0, October 2000.